Ever wonder what would happen if you molded together the voices of Win Butler and Zach Condon? Here's your answer: Fanfarlo.I just discovered this wonderful band from England. They've got the triumphant anthem feel of Arcade Fire, the indie pop joy of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and the soaring vibrato-ful vocals of Beirut. Yeah, yeah, if you've read a review of Fanfarlo, it probably said something very similar, but it's really, really hard to not hear the Arcade Fire + Beirut thing.
But none of this is meant to be negative. The fact that they pull from other established sounds is not a detriment, it is a strength. In my opinion Fanfarlo is taking all the best parts of the above-mentioned bands, and adding their own touch.
"The Walls Are Coming Down" is the most Beirut-y of all the tracks, with a mandolin strumming next to a shuffling snare and a high, clear vocal line, all of which are old standbys of Cordon's, but they work well for Fanfarlo as well, as he takes what would seemingly be a Beirut song and adds more of a pulsing drive to it with the percussion.
The album closer, "Good Morning Midnight", is only 1:26 long, and has no vocals, but it is an extremely pleasing closer, as it showcases a little of the experimentation that I would have liked to see more of throughout the album.
At times this leans into a little more soft, Snow Patrol-like vibe than I would prefer, but overall it is a very strong collection of songs. It is skillfully produced, it is a very warm album. Overall, well worth the buy.
Score: 86/100
MP3: I'm a Pilot
Buy the album
Official website
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